Friday, May 6, 2011

When April arrives, my family begins eagerly awaiting the night that the Clark 54 Drive-In throws open its gates for the summer season. Everyone I know loves the drive-in. It's a magical place to spend your summer nights. There's only one other summer opening that is awaited with more anticipation and that is the opening of the Dari Ripple, which has the most delicious soft serve ice cream. I'll share their story with you another day.

Our county no longer has an operating "movie house" theater, but we do have an incredible drive-in theater. The Clark 54 Drive-In was hopping and thriving "back in the day", but sufferred from years of neglect beginning in the 1970's. About a decade ago, a family purchased the drive-in and began revamping it. It needed alot of vamping! I'll show you a couple of the before pics that I found online.

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Kinda creepy, don't ya think? It looks like something out of a Stephen King movie.

Check out these photos after the transformation.

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﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Isn't that one mind blowing make over?﻿﻿﻿

I am so thankful for those who undertook this project.

Giving our drive-in back to the community has been a wonderful gift.

I love that I can share the drive-in with my boys. The grounds, concession stands, and bathrooms are all in excellent shape. Sound is now transmitted through radio, which is so much better than the speakers ever were. The screen and picture quality are everything you'd want them to be.

Kids and adults run about and play in the huge grassy area in front of the screen before the movie begins. They play soccer, frisbee, pitch-and-catch, and tag. It gets a little crazy at times, but the kids and adults alike enjoy the free-for-all.

Once the movie begins, it's magic. Going into a theater and enjoying a movie is a great in the cold months, but in the summer, the Clark 54 Drive-In is the only place to truly enjoy a movie.

Last summer, we were at the drive-in during the Fourth of July weekend and got to view fireworks that were set off at a distance. Loved it!

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This is where I love to be on a weekend night. Sitting under the stars on a blanket, watching a movie, snuggled up with my honey and kiddies, sipping a Coke, and munching buttery popcorn.

Are you fortunate enough to have a local drive-in? If not, perhaps you can find one on a trip. It's something that was once disappearing from our country, but is now making a welcome comeback. According to Drive-ins.com, "Currently there are 480 open drive-ins that we know of operating around the world. There are 372 in United States and 66 in Canada."

Looking for a drive-in? Check Drive-ins.com, which has a searchable database.